Rolls-Royce Launches Unique New App Service for Airline Pilots

Rolls-Royce has launched a unique new range of apps, designed specifically for customer airline pilots, to give them a better insight into their engines.

The Pilot App enables pilots and their airlines to save fuel and lower emissions by helping pilots optimise the performance of their engines.

The first apps available cover the Trent XWB, which powers the Airbus A350XWB and the Trent 1000 which powers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Both aircraft manufacturers have supported the app development programme. Further apps for the Trent 900, Trent 700 and Trent 7000 will follow in the coming months.

Tom Palmer, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President – Services, Civil Aerospace said: “We want to provide customers with service excellence and to do that we need to work ever more closely with them. This app – which we believe is unique in the industry – is another example of that, sharing best practice with the pilot and flight operations community and supporting our goal that every Rolls-Royce powered aircraft efficiently takes off and lands on time, every time.”

Phill O’Dell, Rolls-Royce Director of Flight Operations, said: “It is complementary to the work we already do with airline flight operations teams and reinforces the processes already in place, but provides information in a fresh, user-friendly, interactive format.”

Key features include information relating to oil consumption, operating engines in a variety of environmental conditions and managing derate. The apps are designed for tablet devices with Android, iOS or Windows operating systems. They are being made available through Google Play, iTunes and Microsoft Store. Pilots will be requested to confirm their details with Rolls-Royce to enable use.

The app is launched as the Rolls-Royce powered fleet continues to grow. Rolls-Royce engines will power half the widebody aircraft in service by early in the next decade as the fleet grows from just under 4,000 engines in service today to around 8,000 by 2027.